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2 Why we are here today“Through 2004, IT organizations that establish enterprise standards for project management, including a project office with suitable governance, will experience half the major project cost overruns, delays, and cancellations of those that fail to do so.”Gartner ResearchThe Project Office: Teams, Processes, and ToolsAugust 2000

3 Agenda What is a PMO? What is a PMO Charter? How is it useful?What is in it?How do I go about writing one?The Charter Template - InstructionsThe Charter Template - Example

4 What is a PMO?The Project Management Office (PMO) is a mechanism used to address common project management issues in an organization in order to support and facilitate project success.This and following slides draw from material published by Mark E. Mullally (see Appendix)

5 What is a PMO?A PMO is generally implemented as a centralized, coordinating body

6 What is a PMO? A PMO can be setup for:Large, complex projects or a program of projectsA department or business unit portfolio of projectsAn enterprise wide approach to selection and management of projects

7 What is a PMO? The PMO may integrate any combination of the following:project knowledgeproject processes and procedurestraining and certification for project staffreusable standard templatesproject skills and resourcesproject portfolio managementproject financial management

8 What does a PMO do?Depending on its charter, a PMO may perform any of a number of functions.Integrate project management within the enterpriseProvide Project Management tools, mentoring and trainingOversee the entire project cycle, from project approval to project closure

9 What does a PMO do? There are many reasons to establish a PMO:Create effective project oversight and controlMinimize project “thrash” and promote greater project successKeep management better informedImprove integration of projects with the businessBuild project management expertise in the staffHelp define and then achieve business objectives

10 Establishing a PMO“Organizational politics aside, the greatest challenge that most organizations face is to define what the PMO's purpose should be, and why it is being created.”

11 Establishing a PMO The PMO requires a clear missionThat mission must be based upon the needs of its customersFrom an understanding of customers can come a definition of requirementsOnly at that point can the PMO truly characterize and implement its services

12 Establishing a PMO There is no universal definition of a PMOIt must be defined individually for each organization that creates oneIt is the role of the PMO Charter to provide that definition

13 Treat Establishing a PMO like a projectEvery project requires clearly defined goals, a mandate from management to proceed and a plan by which to execute it

14 The high level goals of a PMO are its MissionThe Mission is included in the PMO Charter, which is its mandateThere should also be a “Project Plan” that guides implementation of the PMO

15 The PMO Charter is NOT the project plan!“The PMO Charter is, in effect, the organizational mandate for the PMO to exist”

16 The PMO Charter defines its purpose and functionsIt defines:Who the PMO sponsors areWho the customers areThe services that it offersThe staffing and support structures required to deliver those services.

17 Establishing a PMOIn fact, we need the following information before we can begin development of the PMO Charter:PMO Mission (as voiced by management)Customers & StakeholdersService OfferingsPMO StructurePMO Success Profile

18 The CharterTo recap, the PMO Charter establishes the purpose for the PMO’s existence, its primary functions, its Sponsors and Customers, and its structure.This is a lot of information!It is best NOT constructed in a vacuum

19 The Charter A PMO is expensive to create and put into operationUsually there is some specific reason for this investmentThere may be a problem with management of projects that the PMO is supposed to correctThe PMO may be seen as a means of reducing the risk in a major undertaking

20 The CharterYou must be fully aware of the reasons for initiating a PMO before you begin its developmentIf this information is not readily available, initiate discussions with those management figures who can tell you

21 The CharterOnce you understand why the organization is moving to create a PMO, it is much easier to define its role and primary functionsIn general, the following steps are effective for obtaining the information needed for the PMO Charter:

22 The Charter - Mission StatementIdentify the PMO’s primary stakeholdersMeet with them and learn their expectations of the PMODefine the measures of success that the PMO will be judged byDevelop and gain acceptance of a PMO Mission Statement

23 The Charter - StrategyBuilding on the Mission Statement, gain agreement on some High Level Objectives that will guide the work of the PMOThese Objectives should be few in number and directly support the MissionIt is at this level that the nature of the PMO is defined (e.g. Agent of Change vs Reporting Agency)

24 The Charter - FunctionsNext, define the functions of the PMOIt is while discussing the work of the PMO with your customers that they will begin to get a true appreciation of what it will mean to have an established PMO

25 The Charter - Critical Success FactorsIdentify those steps that your organization can take to ensure that the PMO is successfulAlso note the milestones that your organization should plan on reaching as the PMO is implemented and begins its work

26 The Charter - MetricsThe PMO is a major investment. Management has the right to know that the investment is paying offIdentify those areas of greatest concern to your organization and establish means of measuring the impact of the PMO in those areas

27 The Charter - Staffing and StructureOnce you understand the work that the PMO is expected to do, you are in a position to define the staff structure that will make it all happenBe clear not only on the number of bodies, but also respective roles and reporting arrangementsProvide Position Descriptions in the Appendix

28 The Charter - Budget How much will it cost to establish the PMO?Provide at least a rough etimate of what the costs will be in the first year (or other period of time as management dictates)If you write a formal ROI, this information will be invaluable

29 Charter - The toolsTemplates exist that can help you gather and sort out all of this informationYou can find two of them here:

30 Charter - The toolsThe first template is a step by step instruction guide on what information to gather and in what sequenceThe second template is an actual example of a PMO Charter, written in generic format so that you can easily adapt it to your purposes